Puckin' Around With Spector

Entries with the tag: maple leafs

Whether you love Don Cherry or hate him, there’s no denying he’s a master of self-promotion, and ratings gold for CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada.

Cherry, the so-called “Prime Minister of Saturday Night”, uses his Coach’s Corner bully pulpit to educate, engage, enrage and generally entertain those who regularly tune in to his first intermission segment.

He knows how to get folks talking about him – no, the irony isn’t lost on me - and doesn’t give a damn what others think of his opinions.

His March 3rd Coach’s Corner was no different, as Cherry launched into a spirited tirade against Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, sparked by an ongoing feud between the two over Cherry’s frequent criticisms of former Leafs head coach Ron Wilson, to the point where the Leafs GM apparently complained to Cherry’s bosses at the CBC.

It’s an accepted wisdom among fans and pundits that the NHL trade deadline is one of the best opportunities for a struggling non-playoff team to net significant returns for a star player who no longer fits into their future plans.

Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin become a subject of derision near the 2008 trade deadline from Toronto hockey fans and scribes for not waiving his movement clause to facilitate a trade which, in their minds, would’ve fetched a return of riches guaranteed to turn their moribund Leafs into a future Cup contender.

The recent news of the Columbus Blue Jackets fielding offers for team captain Rick Nash (not an unrestricted free agent, but nevertheless a major star player) has some of their fans dreaming over the wealth of promising talent their woeful club could receive in a trade deadline deal.

Unfortunately, the reality is significant trade deadline moves usually don’t work out for the team trading away its star, as the return is rarely as worthwhile as hoped.